The Nether
by xCaptainBlaze
Summary: The Nether. A dark, terrible place of no return. And Mike just got a one-way ticket... Part one of three in my Tres Rengos Trilogy.
1. Chapter 1, Signing Up

The Nether

Hey. I'm Mike... not that it matters anymore. Names don't matter in the Nether, just your strength, and the colour of your blood in the end.  
>I ought to begin at the start. It was a Mondas evening, and I was just leaving the mine for the night. As I walked to the storeroom to put away the ancient pickaxe I was carrying, I saw some of the others carrying up some sort of black rock. I questioned what they were doing, and they replied that Chris had found it, in a deep cave. Thinking no more of it, I went up to the town to return home after a long day's work.<p>

On the way home, Firenze the wizard stopped me. He asked me to fetch a book from the library. When I asked for it, the librarian looked very worried, and disappeared into a back room. She came out holding the book carefully, as though it was made of fragile glass. I took it, examined it to check it was the right one – black leather, silver runes, pentacle on the front – then stuffed it into my bag. The librarian winced. Then I set off home, past the docks and the lake, past the crumbling watchtower and the wizard's house, tall and eerie with the arched windows that looked like watching eyes in the night, where I dropped off the book. How I wish now that I had dropped it in the lake and never looked back.  
>On Frydas, the Council called an emergency meeting of the entire town. I hurried to the town square to see what was wrong – they almost never call a meeting, and as for an emergency one...<p>

"We call this meeting, on the third lunar phase, of the second lunation, of the four hundred and fifth lunar year of Minecraftia, to discuss the discovery of a previously unidentified material found by Christopher Mandlebune, a member of the Delta Squad of the Mining category," intoned the Head of the Council. I stifled a yawn. I had been there for thirty seconds and I was already bored. The Head threw back his hood and cast his dark eyes over the audience.

"Our resident wizard, Firenze Fire-Frost, has identified the material as Obsidian. It has very strong magical properties, and can be used in mystical ways. He has proposed that he try to emulate a technique demonstrated in one of his books. We are looking for volunteers to aid him. But be warned... you may not return." I grinned. I was already certain of my choice.  
>"Come to us after the assembly if you would like to volunteer," said the Head coldly. He cast his eyes over the audience, then turned, put his hood up and left. I immediately began to push my way through the crowd towards the Council, but many of the other people wanted to see them as well. Presumably, getting into this "volunteer" group of Firenze's would be harder than I thought.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2, Realisations

Chapter 2 - Realisations

I managed to fight my way through the crowd of people, to the top of the "queue". Perhaps getting in wouldn't be that difficult – most of the people here were just civilians, hoping to get away from their incredibly boring life. I knew exactly how they felt. I, however, was a miner. I was fitter than most, from the long hours spent down in the mine, and more muscled. The Council would most likely pick me over most of them.  
>When I reached the front, a man with a clipboard was taking down names. He looked extremely stressed. I gave him my name, and he looked me up and down before jotting something on the clipboard. I peered over and sneaked a glimpse of the board. My name was in a column with just a few other names, separated from the majority.<p>

Yes!

I went home with a spring in my step. I, Mike Callahan, was finally nominated for something! Of course, there was no guarantee, but come on – that list only had about 5 people on it. I stirred the soup on the boil and ate dinner, by myself, for the last time. I slept easy that night, knowing I had finally done something to change my miserably boring life.

The next day, it was Tirdas – my day off! I slept late, ate a bowl of expensive mushroom soup with a hunk of bread and strolled down to the dock. I loved the dock. It was so peaceful and calm, with the seagulls wheeling overhead and the waves softly caressing the beach just beyond. I took a deep breath and thought about the volunteer work. "You may not come back", he had said. Probably nothing, to scare away half-hearted workers who didn't really want to do it and would probably drop out at the last minute.

On that dock, the sea breeze ruffling my hair and the wood groaning beneath my feet, life didn't seem so bad. It was repetitive, and some days I didn't have enough to eat, and I would probably starve for a few days after that soup, but I had a roof over my head. I had a soft bed and clothes to wear. I had a steady job and a reliable future. I took another deep breath of the salty scent of the sea and turned away from the glimmering ocean. I slowly walked up the hill to the library and took out a book on Minecraftian history. I was reading it as I slowly walked back to my house, and bumped into Firenze on the way there. He looked worried and asked me to come with him. He took me to his house, up to his personal library. He sat behind his desk and leant his lightly bearded chin rest of the tips of his interlaced fingers.

"Um... Firenze?" I said nervously after about a minute of his silent brooding. He looked up suddenly, his electric blue eyes focusing.  
>"Ah, Mike. Yes. Apologies, my friend, for pulling you off the street like that, but I need some help and I have no idea who else to turn to," he said, his usual poetic speech not altered in the slightest by the apparent urgency of the situation – which, by the way, he had left me completely in the dark about.<p>

"It is about that strange rock that Mr. Mandlebune found. I have discovered a potential use of it to create a highly dangerous object. I warned the Council not to attempt to create this object under any circumstances, but I fear they will merely ignore me, as they have done so many times before."  
>"The obsidian? Oh yeah, they said they needed some volunteers to help them with a "project" you were doing...?" I said. I wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, but it was slowly falling into place what I had gotten myself into.<p>

"They did? Those... argh!" cried Firenze. "Those idiots! They never listen! I warned them not to hunt the Ursa Minor, and what do they do? They hunt the Ursa Minor, and then fifteen of our strongest warriors die before the rest have the sense to run away. I warned them not to investigate that village, and then ten men go missing!" He jumped up from his chair, strode to the door and was about to open it when he stopped and started pacing the room.  
>"I cannot stop them merely by words. They will not listen to me. I must take action," he muttered. "Yes, action. But what can I do? I am not a warrior or a thief. I am a mage. What can a mage do?" He sat down again and leant his head in his hands. I put a consoling hand on his shoulder.<p>

"Calm down, Firenze. You're overreacting. How bad can this thing be, anyway?" I laughed weakly, but it rang hollow and false in the gloomy silence.  
>"Overreacting?" he said. He laughed manically and leant back in his chair. "Overreacting?" he repeated. "This is the single most deadly object in Minecraftia. Anyone who uses it is doomed to certain death. And that means whoever they choose to "volunteer" is going to die a horrible, painful death at the hands of a terrible monster."<p>

I stared at him, his words taking a while to register in my brain. Then the realisation of what I had gotten myself into lodged painfully in my mind and my stomach knotted at the thought of what I had to do.  
>"D'Arvit," I swore. There wasn't much else to say.<p>

Cookies for anyone who got the Ursa Minor reference! Also, a cupcake for anyone who got the "D'Arvit" reference! And don't worry, Pinkie didn't make it.  
>A fudge sundae for anyone who got that fanfic reference. Wow, I'm gonna be giving out a LOT of stuff.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3, Plans

Chapter 3 - Plans

"What? What is it?" asked Firenze. "You didn't... tell me you didn't..."  
>I swore again and held my head in my hands.<p>

"By Notch. You did... How stupid are you?" he shouted. He ran a hand through his blond hair and sighed. "Well, unless someone stops that operation, you're doomed. I'm sorry..."  
>"D'Arvit. D'Arvit!" I shouted, and kicked my chair back. Leaning against the bookcase, I rubbed my forehead and asked, "What, exactly, will this thing do?"<br>"Obsidian can be used, when combined in the correct configuration, to create a portal to another world. This world is inhabited by monstrous creatures that will kill any who enter. I have read about certain materials that can be found there, that would be of great use to the Council. They will do anything to get at those materials." I sighed in exasperation.  
>"There is... one thing..." I stepped forward. "What is it? What?" I asked him excitedly.<p>

"They only have a small amount of obsidian. If even one chunk went missing, they would not be able to complete the portal. Of course, it is under strict lock and key. Someone would have to steal it. Someone with access to the main body of the Council, who could feasibly get to the stone without trouble. Someone... like me."  
>I grinned. "Well, why don't you get it and I hide it? They never need to know."<br>"They would find out. There are ways of telling, with magical auras and such. Eventually, we would be found out... and that is why you should not become involved."  
>"But... you would still be caught," I replied worriedly. "What about you?" Firenze said nothing, just looked at me steadily with his piercing blue eyes, waiting for me to understand.<br>"You're going to... sacrifice yourself?" I gasped, starting forward. Firenze put a hand on my shoulder to calm me.

"Peace, friend. There may be another way. But if not, you don't deserve to die just yet," Firenze said, smiling bitterly. "You must live, no matter what happens to an old wizard like me."  
>"I won't let you!" I shouted. "You can't do this!"<br>"You can't stop me," he replied. "You know that as well as I do."  
>"But..." he stopped me mid-sentence with a raised hand.<br>"Please, Mike. I've already checked the star charts, several times. I am not long for this world anyway. I would like to go helping you to escape a terrible fate. I believe there is no other possibility, but it is worth a try. I will look for an alternative, but if there is no other way, I would ask you to meet me here tomorrow evening to help me formulate a plan." He said it calmly, resignation flickering in his eyes. "I will see you on the morrow. Until then, farewell."

I knew better than to argue when Firenze had made up his mind about something, so I bid him goodnight and left, trudging slowly to my house and brooding over Firenze's decision.


	4. Chapter 4, Spies and Goodbyes

When I arrived at his house the next day, I hesitated before knocking loudly, knowing this might be the last time I see Firenze alive and whole. He opened the door slowly, looking weary and tired, and waved me in with a shadow of his old hope-inducing smile. We went up to the library and he sank into a leather chair behind a small table covered in complicated-looking books. I sat in a similar chair and sighed.

"You haven't found anything, have you?" I asked him, knowing yet dreading the answer. He shook his head.  
>"They can create the object themselves," he said, sighing. "They do not need a wizard, and the magic is too strong to be tampered with. The only way I can stop them is by stealing a piece of that obsidian. I have been working on a plan."<p>

He rose and crossed to a wooden desk, where a large piece of parchment was lying weighted down with silver paperweights in the shapes of various animals – an owl, a horse, a badger and a bear. I followed him and studied it.  
>"This is a map of Kakonatos, the building where the obsidian is being held," he explained. I nodded, understanding his worry. I had never seen Kakonatos, as it was usually obscured by mountains and clouds. I had heard the stories, though, of black spires that towered up to the sky itself and the silver-embossed gates that could incinerate intruders in the blink of an eye. It was the headquarters of the Council, and no one messed with the Council.<p>

"Here," he said, pointing to a square on the diagram, "is where the obsidian is being held. Notice how the lines are extra thick in places? That is where the walls are reinforced to the point where almost nothing can get through them. And the walls with a red line along them are trapped. The same goes for the floors..."  
>I cast my eye over the diagram, dread building in my chest. In the corridors leading to the room, almost every wall was reinforced or trapped. I counted seven trapped areas in the last corridor alone.<p>

"This is impossible," I managed to say. "You'll never manage to get in and out."  
>"Yes, I will. In fact, it will be extremely easy – that is, getting in. Getting out is a different matter. I am permitted access to the obsidian, provided I am under surveillance at all times, and it does not leave the room. They are paranoid about having it in their headquarters and if I find it at all dangerous, they will have it moved to a high-security vault. When it is there, there is no chance of getting to it.<p>

I will enter under the claim that I wish to check various magical properties of the stone. When I am there, I will... dispose of the guard in a way that will not cause any alarm. Then I will take a few chunks of stone. Unfortunately, the guard must check in every five minutes. If he does not, I will be discovered... and it takes seven minutes precisely to escape from the room. Therefore, I will no doubt be seen, but hopefully not caught. Then, when I am out, I will hide the stone in a place they will never find it."  
>"And then what? You will return?" I asked, praying for it to be true.<br>"I'm afraid not. That would endanger both of us far too much. I would travel to another village, and await discovery or death." He looked steadily at me with his clear eyes.  
>"Mike... if I don't see you again, know this – you were the most honourable and kind friend I have ever had, if my memory proves healthy. If I fail, you must get out. Run for the hills, and do not look back.<p>

"Finally, I must ask you – do not pursue any vendettas against the Council, no matter what they do to you. That will result in nothing but your painful death, and my own death would have been in vain. Forget me as best you can, and move on with your life. I do not want you to obsess over this. Enjoy your life – you will go far." He smiled, a single tear slipping silently down his cheek, and he turned and walked to the door.  
>"Farewell, Mike," he said, almost in his normal voice, as though it was the end of a normal visit. I opened my mouth to say something, but my throat felt blocked up and no sound was coming out – and there was nothing I could say that he didn't know, really. Instead I nodded and swallowed painfully. He turned and walked through the door.<br>It was the last time I saw Firenze like that.

A figure detached itself from the shadows by the wall, hunched over to avoid detection. It hurried after the departing figure of the wizard, wincing from the ache that set in after holding itself to the window for so long, and silently followed the man in the orange light of the setting sun. Under the hood, a mouth smiled, eyes glinting with malicious intention.


	5. Chapter 5, Betrayal

"Name," the guard muttered in a dull monotone.  
>"Firenze Fire-Frost."<br>"Profession."  
>"Alchemist and Wizard."<br>"Purpose in Kakonatos."  
>"To inspect the material Obsidian, by order of the Council."<br>"Enter," the guard replied, and pressed his hand into a soft foam-like black substance in a panel on the wall. The panel bleeped and the gates opened, the silver embellishment glittering with magic. Firenze took a deep breath and walked through, trying to keep a steady pace and not look too nervous. He got to the lower levels without trouble and opened the door to the obsidian room. The guard behind him motioned him to enter and he went inside. Firenze bent over the obsidian.

"It is… ticking…" Firenze said, his brow furrowing. "Can you hear it?" He stood still and the room went silent. The guard raised his eyebrows.  
>"I can't hear anything," he replied. Firenze gestured him over.<br>"Listen closely," the wizard told him. The guard bent over the obsidian just as the watch on his arm bleeped. He sighed and pressed a series of buttons, and the bleeping stopped. He bent over…_  
>Thud! <em>Firenze abruptly cracked the skull of the unsuspecting guard against the stone. His eyes rolled up into their sockets and he crumpled to the floor.

Firenze took a deep breath, massaged his forehead, and carefully raised a chunk of obsidian from the silvery panel of glass beneath it. As he thought, they had turned off the pressure pads while he worked. He slipped it into his satchel and pulled open the door, the oiled hinges swinging open silently. Ahead of him was the corridor.  
>He closed the door behind him and surveyed the corridor. Taking an apple from his pocket, he threw it into the space ahead of him. It fell to the floor without incident, and Firenze was about to start forward when it exploded into a mass of white pulp that splattered the walls. He gulped audibly. This would be more difficult than he expected.<p>

Far above, in one of the spiralling towers of Kakonatos, a man sat at a desk, surrounded by monitors and technical equipment. He pressed a few buttons and brought up a picture of the obsidian room. As expected, the room was empty apart from the case – now open with a piece of obsidian missing – and the guard, crumpled at the base. He scanned the body and found there was still a heartbeat, though a weak one. His mouth curled into a smile. It was hardly surprising that the wizard left the man alive – the sensors in his watch would pick up the lack of pulse. The man tapped something on the keyboard and pressed a button on his headset. It crackled into life, connecting him with the main security team.  
>"Trouble," he said simply. The man on the other end swore and he could hear the tapping of the keyboard through the microphone.<p>

"Look in the obsidian room," the man said, feigning nervousness. "You think the wizard did that?"  
>"Must've been. I knew we shouldn't have trusted that guy. He's a shady one, that wizard, always secretive and so," replied the security man, tap-tap-tapping away on the keyboard. Finally, the man heard a beep through the microphone and another swear from the security.<br>"Fire-Frost is approaching level -2 now... How did he get up there so fast?" the security man wondered. "Anyway, that's not important. Setting security levels in level -2 to maximum. I'm aiming to capture or wound, not kill... the Council will want a little talk with this one."  
>The man heard tapping again, and a satisfied sigh from the security man.<p>

"He's stuck there. The moment he leaves those stairs, he's gonna be trapped like a rat in a cage."  
>The man smiled again, and pressed the button to turn off his headset. He rose from his chair, turned off the monitor and stepped into the lift to level -1 – the torture room. He had a feeling the Council would be in need of his... special talents.<p>

Firenze reached the top of the stairs. His clothes were torn and ripped, singed and soaked, and he looked haggard and tired.  
>"Just two more levels," he muttered to himself. He checked his watch. He had one more minute before they would find out. He shouldered open the next door. There shouldn't have been any traps for about twenty metres, so he walked forward, his shoes clicking on the shining tile floor. He saw a faint sheen of white run over the walls, and tried to run backwards to avoid the attack coming, but too late. A flash of light blinded him momentarily and he was bodily flung into the air, and then hit the unrelenting tiles with a thud. He lay still, gathering his breath and strength, and tried pushing himself up with his hand. A wave of agonising pain washed over him and he collapsed on the ground again. Behind him, two burly men in overalls burst through the door and grabbed him by the arms. One of them smashed a fist into the side of Firenze's head and he went limp, knocked unconscious by the blow.<p>

They dragged him unceremoniously through the door, into the lift and up to the next floor, and threw him into a dank cell. He lay there, among the dirt and mud, a broken man on his way to death.


	6. Chapter 6, Treason

Firenze awoke with a jolt and tried to sit up. He tried to push himself up, but found his hands tied firmly behind his back. After a great deal of effort, he managed to prop himself against the stone wall of his cell. His head was throbbing where the thug had knocked him out, and his entire body ached from when they threw him into the cell, but he ignored them and focused on the room he was in.

It was a small room, about three metres by two, and made of solid stone. The walls and floor were filthy, and something dripped from the ceiling. The only light came from the thick, dirt-encrusted glass window in the iron door set firmly into the wall. As he gazed at the light, something blocked it outside. The door screeched open and light spilled into the tiny room, temporarily blinding Firenze and making him squeeze his eyes shut in an attempt to shield them from the sudden brightness. A figure stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He approached Firenze and stood over him, his hands folded behind his back.

"So, the mysterious Fire-Frost," he said in a silky voice. "I was wondering when you would arrive." Firenze tried to make out the man's features, but the light was shining from behind him and his face was shrouded in shadow.  
>"You are here for committing treason against the Council. You have assaulted a member of the security and attempted to steal an object of great importance. Do you have anything to say in your defence?"<br>Firenze coughed painfully and slipped a little down the wall. He had not recovered enough to reply.  
>"So, no attempt at a defence? That's good. It saves time, and maybe I'll hurt you less before I turn you in to the headsman," the man said gleefully. Firenze coughed again and attempted a raspy answer.<p>

"Who... who are you?" he asked in a weak whisper. The man said nothing, merely stepped backwards into the light. Firenze's eyes widened in surprise.  
>"You? But... but why?"<br>"That does not concern you, old man. Now, we have a few questions for you. It is in your best interests to answer them." The man smiled evilly and took a step towards Firenze.  
>"Why did you try to steal the obsidian?" he said, not beating about the bush any longer. Firenze merely shook his head. The man's fingers curled into a fist and he punched Firenze under the chin, causing his head to fly back and crack painfully against the wall. He was surprisingly strong, considering his slight figure. Firenze gritted his teeth. He would not cry out. Not for him.<br>The man punched his head again, this time on the temple, and knocked him to the ground. He kicked him in the ribs and then backed away a few steps.  
>"Answer the question, and you do not need to get hurt," he said simply. Firenze sighed.<br>"I will not tell. You are wasting your time here. Send me to the headsman. I will be content." The man said nothing, merely kicked him in the stomach and ground his heel into the knuckles of Firenze's long tapered fingers. He gave a short cry as he felt the bones snap under the pressure, and the man allowed himself a sadistic smile. This was going to be a very enjoyable evening.

* * *

><p>I was looking out over the dock, thinking about Firenze's decision. Chris walked up to me, startling me, and told me that everyone had to go to the main square immediately. I walked with him to the square, already bustling with people waiting, and found a place to stand.<br>The Head of the Council walked onto the platform and the audience immediately fell silent. He pushed back his hood.  
>"It has recently come to our attention that there is a traitor in our midst." A ripple ran across the crowd. I swore under my breath, praying it wasn't him.<br>"We have found him, and detained him. We called this assembly to emphasise the importance of loyalty to the Council, and we felt it required a demonstration."  
>About a third of the way around the platform from where I was standing, there was a disturbance in the crowd. The people separated to form a path to the platform. I craned my neck in an attempt to see who was there, but I couldn't make them out amongst the sea of people. It didn't particularly matter though. I knew exactly who it was.<p>

A man in the coarse brown tunic and the hooded cloak of Kakonatos prisoners climbed the steps to the platform, his hands tightly bound behind his back. His hood was up and his head was hung, so I couldn't tell for sure if it was him or not. Then a burly guard mounted the stage behind him and pulled down the hood, confirming my worst suspicions. Whispers and gasps spread along the crowd as they realised who it was.

Firenze was stood on the platform, staring straight ahead over the crowd. Countless bruises and cuts decorated his arms, face and neck, and one eye was encircled with a large, dark bruise, contrasting with his bright blue iris. His normally pristine blond hair was mussed and dirty, and one arm hung loosely at an odd angle. I fought to stop myself from calling out to him, and pushed closer to the front of the crowd.  
>The guard walked him to the centre of the platform, where everyone could see him. I noticed a small wooden block, with a semicircular piece taken out of it. I cursed and tried to push my way through the crowd, but the people were squashed too tightly together and it was impossible to get there in time.<p>

"This is what happens when thieves commit treason," said the Head, his mouth curling into a small malicious smile. He stepped off the platform just as a second guard went on, this one carrying a long-handled axe. The blade glinted wickedly in the afternoon sun. The first guard shoved Firenze to his knees in front of the block. He checked the ropes binding his hands together, and then nodded to the second guard. He stepped into position next to the block, fingering the sharp blade of the axe.  
>The first guard put his boot in the centre of Firenze's back and roughly pushed down, forcing him to bend forward and rest his neck on the block. He stepped back and stood behind Firenze, ready to stop him if he tried to escape. A hush fell over the crowd.<p>

Firenze turned his head slightly and focused his eyes on me. He nodded slightly to me, barely noticeably, and closed his eyes in anticipation. The headsman raised the axe above his head and I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see what was about to happen. I heard the swish of the axe as it cut through the air, followed by the final thud as the blade hit the wood. An awful silence followed it for several seconds. Then, a single voice rang out across the square.  
>"You bastards!" yelled a woman, running forward. The crowd parted to allow her through and I recognised her as Firenze's old housekeeper.<br>"You cowardly bastards!" she repeated, and tried to get up onto the platform. The guards held her back, but they did not want to hurt her, and she managed to fight her way between them. She knelt by Firenze's slumped body and sobbed, great wrenching cries of sadness broken only by her cursing at the guards.

The crowd began to get smaller, the people wanting to get away from the terrible scene. I caught sight of Firenze's decapitated body, lying so forlornly in a pool of blood. The sight made my breath catch in my throat and I clamped a hand to my mouth, trying not to vomit. I turned and fled, not looking where I was going, just wanting to get away from the horrible sight of my dead friend, and the guilt that was besieging me.

* * *

><p>Just wanted to let you guys know, it was HORRIBLE writing this chapter. I cried. See what I do for you? I cried for you.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7, Arguments

I was sat on my bed, staring blankly at the wall, when someone knocked lightly on the door. I mumbled something in response and Chris opened the door tentatively. He said nothing, just crossed the room to where I was sitting and settled himself on the bed next to me, prepared for a long wait.  
>After several long minutes, he sighed and put his hand on my shoulder. I flinched.<br>"...I'm really sorry about Firenze, Mike," he said hesitantly. "I know you were close to him."  
>I uttered a short, almost insane laugh.<p>

"Um... Is there anything I can do?" he asked, clearly wanting to help. I ignored his question.  
>"You can't stay cooped up in here forever. It's been four days already." Again, I ignored him. He took a deep breath and dared to say,<br>"Firenze wouldn't have wanted you to do this. He..." I cut him off with a stony glare.

"How could you know what he wanted?" I hissed, furious. "You know nothing! You don't even know what he-" I stopped myself just in time from letting slip what he had done.  
>I pushed myself off the bed and paced, my hand on my forehead. Chris sighed understandingly, and for some reason this infuriated me beyond logic or fairness.<br>"Don't you dare act like you understand! You don't know anything about suffering! About losing the ones you love!" I yelled, storming up to him. He stepped back a few paces, managing to stop himself getting angry.

"Listen to yourself, Mike," he said in a calm voice. "This isn't you. I know you're angry, and I know you're upset, but that isn't you."  
>"Shut up! Just shut up!" I shouted. "You think I'm upset? You think I'm angry? I've known Firenze for seventeen years! Seventeen, Notch damn it! And you think you can waltz in here and figure it all out, even though it was your fau-" I stopped myself again, knowing no matter how angry I got, I couldn't hurt him that much.<br>Chris's calm, slightly worried expression changed. He stared at me, his eyes smouldering with fury.  
>"My fault?" he hissed. "My fault?"<br>"No, I-" I tried to backtrack, but it was already too late.

"Of course, it was my fault. Because everything's always my fault, isn't it? I find a man trying to commit treason, and it's my fault he's executed. I try to help you, and it's my fault you're so angry. I find a bloody bit of rock and it's my fault all the volunteers are..." his voice stuck in his throat. He merely shook his head, the words not coming in his anger, and stalked out of the door. I tried to call him back, to apologise, but he simply slammed the door behind him and disregarded my pleas. I stared after him for a few moments, then kicked the door, swore angrily and flopped down on the bed again to mope in peace.

I must have fallen asleep, because when I next roused myself from my bed dusk was falling slowly. I pulled open the door, shivering as the cold evening air washed over me, and stepped slowly down towards the dock. Leaning against my usual wall, I sighed and took a deep breath of sea air, contemplating what I had done to Chris. A wave of remorse washed over me. I liked Chris. Respected him. I'd known him since we were just children, and he was always a good friend to me, and now I had repaid that friendship with false accusations and arguing, when nothing was his fault. He was just doing his job.

It was the Council at fault. It always was. Annoyance welled up in me. When something went wrong, it was always the Council's fault! Annoyance turned to anger as I was finally forced to think about Firenze's execution. They had no right! No right to kill him!  
>I kicked the wall angrily, not noticing the pain of the bricks through my thin shoes, and hurried back home. Remembering Firenze's advice, I swiftly packed a rucksack with some clothes, a couple of knives from my kitchen, and all the food I could find – I would need it if I was going to escape. The work helped me to calm down a bit, and it was with a heavy heart that I flopped down onto the bed.<p>

The next morning, I woke with just as bad a mood as the night before. I dressed quickly and was about to grab my bag from its seat on the floor when someone rapped loudly on my door. I opened it a crack, suspicious, and sighed partially in relief and partially in exasperation when I saw it was just Chris. He looked incredibly guilty, and any annoyance I retained from last night instantly drained away when I saw how sorry he was. I waved him in, surreptitiously sliding my bag under my bed with the tip of my boot, and closed the door after him. Before he could say anything, I stopped him with a raised hand.

"Chris, before you say anything, please don't apologise," I told him. He opened his mouth to reply, paused for a moment, and then closed it again.  
>"That was pretty much what I was here for," he admitted sheepishly. I nodded.<br>"I know. But you don't have to be sorry. You didn't do anything."  
>"I... I didn't? But what about what I said?" he asked.<br>"It was my fault. I shouldn't have blamed you for it." He stayed silent for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully.  
>"I shouldn't have snapped at you, since you were in that mood," he concluded. "So I guess we're both at fault." He flashed a grin at me, in typical Chris style, and pushed himself off the wall where he had propped himself.<p>

"Since you've been locked up in here for an age, I guess you didn't hear about his funeral," he said, smiling awkwardly.  
>"His funeral? But... I thought traitors didn't get funerals..." I replied, confusion crossing my face.<br>"Normally not," he clarified, "But this time they're making an exception. The priest convinced them it was a violation of the Book of Notch, or something like that. Anyway, it's on Tirdas. I kind of assumed you would want to go." He opened the door. "See you later," he said, smiling sympathetically at me, and left, closing the door behind him.

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><p><strong>Sorry I took so long to upload this chapter! Lots of schoolwork, etc, got in the way... Anyway, I'll try to get them out every 4 or 5 days at maximum in future. <strong>  
><strong>Also a HUGE thank you to my first four reviewers, xoxLEXIxox, Taylorhrrr123, Admiral Rake Donsom and Mellifluousness!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8, Detainment

I stood over the freshly filled grave, with the marble gravestone standing over it, glowing white in the setting sun's glow. For the thousandth time, I read the inscription – "As fearless in death as he was in life" – that I had chosen. I took a deep breath, my eyes aching from the effort of not breaking down in tears after my friend's funeral, and reached out to the beautiful stone. I carefully wiped a little smear of mud from the pristine marble and ran my hand up the intricately decorated border, my fingers slipping inbetween the tiny carved patterns, to the smooth top with a carved figure. It was a detailed figurine of a rearing horse, carved into creamy yellow marble with its mane and tail gilded in a thin layer of gold, tiny pieces of turquoise and a single piece of smooth flint forming an eye. I sighed painfully, lowered my head for a moment in respect, turned around and slowly walked down the cobbled path through the rows of graves to the gate. I took one last look at Firenze's grave and left the graveyard, trudging slowly home.

I arrived and half-sat, half-fell onto my bed. I buried my head in my hands, trying to block out the horrible memory of his execution. I knew I should leave, get my bag and run, but I couldn't leave yet with the funeral still fresh in my memory. A loud knock on the door roused me and I yanked it open, a sour look on my face. Whoever decided to disturb me that night was going to get some serious trouble. A man in the black uniform of Kakonatos was stood outside.

"What do you want?" I snarled at him, ready to slam the door. He ignored my anger.  
>"The Council wishes for you to travel to Kakonatos, and spend the night there. The expedition is to be carried out tomorrow. Fetch a bag with the necessary items and prepare yourself. Be ready to leave in 5 minutes."<p>

"Right. Fine," I replied, turning away. I slammed the door and grabbed my bag. I cast my eye around my home, the sloping thatched roof and wooden walls, low bed and chipped table, and pulled open the door. The man gestured for me to follow him and he turned around. I closed the door behind me, blowing out the candle next to it first, and slowly walked after him, planning on escaping from this guard and running away – whatever it took. I took a knife from my bag, short and serrated, and lifted it silently. Before I could act, however, I felt something cold press into the back of my shirt. The guard turned around and nodded to whoever was behind me.

"Good timing," he said to them. "Detain him and remove his weapons." The person behind me withdrew their weapon and turned me around with a hand on my shoulder. It was another guard, with yet another standing behind him. The first one raised his blade, a sword gleaming wickedly in the afternoon light, and took my knife from me. I didn't fight him, knowing there was no point. They took my bag and removed the others from it, leaving my clothes and such inside it. One of them threw it back to me and they walked me forward, towards the main road and the dock. We reached it without incident and we boarded a small boat. It set off across the water, surprisingly fast for such a small craft, turned left at a river mouth and sailed around the mountains. It took a long time, even at the fast speed, and it was well past midnight when we arrived at the end of the river. We got out and they walked me to a main road.

"Walk," one of them said, the first thing any of them had said since we reached the dock. I did so and one of them overtook me, leading me up the winding road. The other two walked behind me making sure I didn't escape. Dread was building in my stomach when we rounded a corner through a gap barely large enough for a small cart to fit through and my breath caught in my throat. Kakonatos was stood in the valley below us, huge and black in the moonlight, towering up almost above the mountains. It was the perfect place – sheltered on all sides by mountains, with just a single stone bridge connecting it to the entrance to the valley. Far below us, a leafy jungle covered the ground entirely, an impenetrable wall of green. We walked over the bridge, seemingly held up by nothing more than thin air, and approached the gigantic gates of Kakonatos. A guard nodded to us, perched in a small tower, and did something. The gates silently opened, eerily dark in the night, and I was led inside.

The hall took my breath away. Incredibly high walls loomed up, lined with silver tables for officials and politicians to meet, rows of desks, doors with golden plaques on them – no doubt for important officials and the like. I had known Kakonatos was the hub of Minecraftian politics, often said to be the only good thing about our little town, but I had no idea of the sheer scale of the operation they were running. Hundreds of people were working away, regardless of the time, yet barely a quarter of the desks were filled.

I was marched straight through the middle, to a large silver lift in the centre of the far wall. It was rather like a giant tube, big enough for fifty people to stand without complaint. I saw two smaller lifts on either side of the entrance. The guard tapped something into the panel on the wall and we shot up to level 4. It opened onto a spacious corridor with doors lining it. He opened one of these and motioned for me to enter. I did so and dropped my bag next to the door.

"We will return tomorrow morning. Be ready to leave. We will provide appropriate equipment, so do not worry about tomorrow," my guard said, then turned and left, closing the door behind him. I waited silently, listening for movement outside my door, but heard nothing. Crossing the room, I tried opening the door, but found it locked. Cursing, I jiggled the doorknob, trying to coax it open, but to no avail. Eventually I gave up and looked around the room I had been assigned for the night.

There was not much furniture – a small bed, a table and chair, and a wardrobe – and a single window about a foot wide. I crossed to it and tried to open it, but it too was locked. As for breaking the glass, it was out of the question – metal wiring was crisscrossed through the thick glass. Sighing, I fell onto the bed. I closed my eyes, thinking deeply about the situation, but before long I heard someone fiddling with the door. I jumped up and crossed the room to it. With a final _clunk_ it opened slowly, revealing Firenze's old housekeeper flanked by two guards. She nodded to me and I noticed her eyes were red and swollen.

"Firenze wanted you to take this with you," she said. "He said it would be very important, and that you must use it when all seems lost." She held out a small package wrapped in brown paper and tied neatly with a long piece of white string. I took it and examined it.  
>"All seems lost?" I asked. "What does that mean?"<br>"He said you would figure it out," she replied. "Take it with you. Keep it with you at all times." I nodded my acknowledgement of her request.

"Thank you," I said. She smiled and turned, walking down the white corridor with small, measured steps. One of the guards closed the door and locked it, sealing me in for the night. I sat on the bed, turning the package over in my hands, then tore off the paper. It was a small black box, with a silver border running around the edge. I took off the lid and examined the item inside.

A gleaming gold rune was set into a hexagon of some sort of red stone. I had never seen anything like it in all my years of mining, and I was sure I had never even heard of it. It was marbled with darker red branching lines and felt curiously warm to the touch. I examined the rune and could not make out what language it was. Again, I had never seen it before. I racked my memory and could not think of what it could be. I pulled the pendant out of the box and found there was a tightly woven black cloth chain connected to it. I put it around my neck, the pendant slipping just under the collar of my shirt, and lay back on the bed. As I put my head on the pale brown pillow, it struck me how tired I was, and I fell asleep there, my dreams plagued with thoughts of Firenze, his warning and what was to come the next day.


	9. Chapter 9, Leaving

**Before I begin this Chapter I just want to say... This story might not have a happy ending. I haven't fully decided yet, but don't assume it will all go well. I have lots of ideas about the ending, and don't expect me to pick the easy option. Ok, go read the Chapter now! ^w^**

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><p>I woke with an undignified snort, startled out of my patchy sleep by the clunking of the door being unlocked. It swung open just as I jumped up from the crumpled bed. The same guard from the night before (or was it a different one? It was hard to tell) came in, sword gleaming at his belt. His lip twitched slightly in disdain at the sight of my crumpled old clothes, and he brushed an invisible bit of lint from his perfect black uniform and gestured for me to follow him. Grabbing my bag, I did so, not bothering to shut the door behind me.<p>

There were three other people in the corridor, one of which was another guard. With him was a young woman with thick, curly auburn hair in a black tank top and plain grey trousers. She looked extremely excited about something - no prizes for guessing what. The other was a man, perhaps in his forties or fifties, with a light grey beard and a messy head of hair. Despite his age, he looked hardened and ready to put up a fight. He nodded to me and turned away.

The guards gestured down the corridor and we walked in silence to the exit. We then got completely lost (as far as I was concerned) in a maze of corridors before finally being spat out into the main hall again. My breath caught in my throat when I saw what had been erected overnight.

A huge black doorway stood on its own in the centre, crowds of people gathered around it. They parted to form a path and I saw the Head of Council at the base of the construction. He appeared to be waiting for us.  
>I looked around, but none of my new companions seemed too eager to approach the curious thing. I didn't blame them - it loomed ominously over us, like a gateway to Hell. The man sighed and started walking, but a guard blocked his way with an extended hand.<br>"Him," he said simply, nodding at me. The man stepped back.  
>"Off you go, kid," he said. I took a deep breath and started walking, vaguely aware of the others walking behind me. I drew level with the Head and he turned to me.<br>"Before you go, I would like to offer my condolences about your friend," he said, a little smile playing about his lips. Rage welled up in me, demanding that I pay him back for what he did to Firenze, but I kept it in check. Punching him in the face wouldn't be a very good way of starting this trip, and would most likely reduce my chances of survival to absolute zero. Possibly even negative numbers.

I heard shoes clicking on the tiles behind me and turned to see Chris walking up to us. He nodded to me, his face unusually serious, and turned to the Head.  
>"You called for me?" he asked.<br>"Indeed I did. Have you prepared yourself?" the Head asked him. Chris nodded.  
>"Good. Join the others." Chris stood next to me.<br>"You signed up for this?" I hissed. It was bad enough that I had to go, but now my best friend was coming too!  
>"Of course! I can't wait to do it! It sounds <em>fascinating<em>," Chris replied happily. I opened my mouth to tell him the truth, then remembered I couldn't possibly tell him without alerting suspicion. Chris didn't really know the meaning of 'surreptitious'.

A guard came forward with a sharp curve of flint and a small block of iron. He scratched them together to create a spark, and then jumped back quickly. The spark gently glowed on the black stone, then caught alight into a flame. It grew into an inferno, but for some reason I felt no heat coming from the fire. The flames filled the entire frame, flickering dangerously. I noticed a small patch of the fire near the centre slowly getting redder, then turning almost... purple? The purple flame spread, filling the whole portal, and the fire changed shape. It turned to swirling circles of light, emitting flecks of flickering purple. I released a breath I didn't realise I had been holding and glanced at the others. They had all retreated in fear.

"Enter," said the Head, smiling with glee. We glanced at each other – it was clear no one wanted to go first. I sighed and stepped into the black doorway, clenching my teeth together preparing for whatever happened. The purple substance was cold against my skin, seeming to cling to me. The purple grew in my eyes until I could see nothing but the purple vortex whirling around me. I felt a curious sensation, like tingling all over my body, and felt something pull at me. It pulled harder and I felt myself lifted off the ground and spun around. The swirling light and dizziness from spinning overcame me, and darkness filled my vision. I felt myself slump against the side of the frame and knew nothing more.

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><p><strong>By the way, I'm really sorry it took so long to get this out! I had complete and utter writer's block this weekend. <strong>


	10. Chapter 10, First Steps

I woke slowly, my head pounding. I raised my head too quickly and searing pain shot through it, sending me back to the ground with a moan of pain. Someone knelt beside me.  
>"He's up," said a woman's voice. "And he certainly took his time about it."<br>"It's his first time through a portal," replied a male voice. "It's only to be expected. Anyway, you weren't exactly the quickest off the mark, were you?" The woman ignored his comment and gently raised my head, slipping something soft underneath to prop it up. I opened my eyes, wincing as candlelight flooded my vision.

We were in a cave of some sort, with rough stone walls which I instantly recognised – even though I had only seen them once before. The red stone was identical to the amulet Firenze had sent me. I tried to think of what that could mean – the significance of such a correlation – but my head was too foggy. On a natural sort of shelf along one wall, two glimmering steel swords were sat, along with a pair of backpacks and four folded grey cloth piles. A figure approached me and I squinted to see his face, the candlelight behind him making it difficult to make out. I recognised him as the man who had joined us. The woman beside me, her auburn hair now tied back in a simple ponytail, rose and crossed to the dark entrance.

My head slightly recovered from its aching, I pushed myself up to first my knees, then my feet, leaning on the wall for support. The man put his hand on my shoulder to steady me.  
>"Easy, kid," he said. "Don't exert yourself just yet. First time out of the portal is always the worst."<br>"How long have I been out?" I asked him weakly.  
>"About six hours, give or take," he replied. I sighed in annoyance.<br>"So, two seconds in and I've already passed out once," I said, irritated.  
>"Don't beat yourself up about it," consoled the man. "The first time I went into a portal, I was out for a whole day before someone had the idea to chuck a bucket of cold water over me." He gave me a rueful smile – I guessed it wasn't his most treasured memory.<p>

"I'm Bill by the way," he added as an afterthought. "That there is Zoey." The woman glanced up and smiled at me before going back to whatever she was doing – the shadows were obscuring her hands.  
>"I'm Mike," I replied. "What do you mean, the first time you went into a portal? You've been here before?"<br>"Yup," he replied darkly. "This isn't the first time power-hungry idiots have opened one of these things. About thirty years ago, they had one. A top-secret project that went wrong. With the help of Zoey here, I escaped, and I left for Ithaca. But then, the Council tracked me down, and here I am."  
>"So, any idea what to expect?" I asked him. He shook his head.<br>"The Nether is always changing. It could be completely different to my Nether. Anyway, we're in a different part to the bit I know."

I saw movement in the corner of my eye and looked around to see Chris emerging from the shadows, yawning profusely.  
>"You're up, then?" he asked with a grin. "Finally, I was tired of waiting."<br>"So tired you fell asleep," commented Zoey dryly.  
>"Yeah... Whatever," replied Chris. I saw he was carrying a sword identical to the ones on the shelf. I walked over and took one, weighing it in my hand.<br>"Hmm. Not too heavy, but not too light. I like it," I commented, swinging it over my head.

"The Head of Council gave the packs to us before we left," said Bill, grabbing his own pack and sword from the shelf. Chris picked his up from the floor and I took the other from the shelf, unzipping the top to inspect the interior. There was not much inside – a few ration packs, a couple bottles of water, a simple steel knife, a leather belt and a first-aid kit. I took the belt, looping it around my waist and buckling it tightly. Conveniently it had loops for my various equipment, and I slotted in the first-aid kit, a bottle of water and the knife. Chris and Bill did the same.

Zoey emerged from the dark entrance to the cave. She took the heap of cloth from the shelf and shook it out, revealing its purpose. Four grey hooded cloaks unfurled in her hands, reaching halfway down her thighs. She handed them out and we slipped them on over our clothes.  
>I was immediately struck by how soothingly cool it was. The Nether was very, very hot – whether that was from being underground or not, I wasn't sure. The cloth was silky and smooth, and smelled wonderful – like the sea on a sunny day, salty and fresh. I pulled the hood up and gripped my sword loosely in my hand.<p>

"Everyone ready?" Bill asked. We nodded and he led us to the exit to the cave. The others disappeared into the shadows outside and I heard Chris gasp in shock. I followed apprehensively.

The view took my breath away. Vast lakes of red glowed ominously amongst islands of stone, dotted with dark figures I couldn't make out. Far overhead in the shadows, a faint yellow glow illuminated the vast space, lighting the cliff side we had emerged from. Bill glanced around, unimpressed, and started to edge around the thin ridge of stone we were standing on. He reached the corner and disappeared from view, closely followed by Zoey. Chris hurried after them and I rushed to keep up, desperate not to be left alone for even a second in that terrible – yet strangely beautiful – place. We rounded the corner and found ourselves on a plain of the red stone, seemingly stranded on the desolate landscape. Bill rummaged in his backpack.

"Let's see here," he muttered, pulling out a thickly folded piece of cloth. He shook it out and held it flat, revealing that it was a map. A red dot marked where we had teleported to, and a black sketch in charcoal showed our destination – some sort of fortress-like structure. A yellow dashed line marked our route, and Bill set off in the direction of the fortress, undeterred by the distance or the apparent danger of such a place. We fell into line behind our leader, trekking silently to keep our strength. We all knew we would need it later.

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><p><strong>Sorry this Chapter is so boring at the start, but I needed to set the scene really. I'm finally into the interesting bit!<strong>  
><strong>Also, thanks to my latest reviewers,<strong>** iDog, ****DJatomica69, and ****FTWeepingbell!**


	11. Chapter 11, Encounters

We had walked for barely four or five hours before it started to get to me. The heat and monotony of walking for so long were making me tetchy and irritable, and the silence only made it worse.

"How much further to the first stop?" I asked for the thousandth time. Bill sighed.  
>"You know how much further. Shut up and walk," he replied, not breaking pace or looking back at me. I growled something I can't put on paper and kept plodding along, softly sweltering in the humid air. For what must have been the billionth time, I checked the map again to see how far we had come. A green cross marked our first stop, according to Bill. We were almost there, thank Notch, and then we could rest and recuperate.<p>

A sudden noise made me stop. The others stopped too, looking questioningly at me. I pressed a finger to my lips, warning them to stay quiet, and scanned the area around us.  
>There it was again! A high-pitched noise, almost like a child's giggle. It was quickly followed by a curious purring sound, like an ocelot, and something moved out of the corner of my eye.<p>

I whipped my head around and my eyes widened at the sight of something huge and white floating towards us. Bill swore loudly and yelled, "Get to the cave! Run!" He sprinted towards the first stop and we followed him without hesitation, not doubting his experience in this place. Behind us, the thing noticed us and made a terrible screaming noise. Something exploded directly behind me and I felt searing heat burn at my back, spurring me forward to escape from the horrific creature.

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><p>I tripped on a rough part of rock and fell to the ground, painfully scraping my hands and knees on the hard surface. I turned and saw a flaming ball of rock shoot towards me. It exploded at my feet, billowing up in flames and enveloping me in pain and fire. I screamed, the agony too much to bear. Suddenly, everything faded. The pain turned to icy cold, and I knew nothing more.<p>

**April Fools! Here's the real ending:**

I tripped on a rough part of rock and fell to the ground, painfully scraping my hands and knees on the hard surface. I turned and saw a flaming ball of rock shooting towards me. I scrabbled at the unrelenting rock, pulling myself out of range just in time. I pushed myself up, desperate to escape. The thing screamed again as I fled to the opening of the cave mouth, finally safe from the horrors of the Nether – for now.

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><p><strong>Sorry. Couldn't resist...<strong>


	12. Chapter 12, Losses

I cried out at the horrible pain in my hands. Zoey sighed, annoyed at my refusal to comply.  
>"I know it hurts, but you have to disinfect them. Who knows what you could pick up here?" she asked disapprovingly. I exhaled sharply through gritted teeth and grudgingly extended my hands for the second time. She poured a tiny amount of the clear liquid onto the deep gouges from the stone, mingling with the blood seeping from my raw flesh. I bit down hard on my lip to stop myself crying out again – it felt like my hands were being set alight. Zoey just set her lips in a stony line and put away the bottle. She carefully applied a layer of white cream, soothing them somewhat, and bandaged them in clean white strips of cloth.<p>

"We stay here tonight," she addressed Bill. He nodded, not looking up from polishing his sword. I immediately objected.  
>"We don't have to. I'm not some invalid that needs looking after! I'll be fine," I lied. The last thing I wanted to do was leave the safety of the cave. Bill glanced at me briefly.<br>"No, you won't," he contradicted me. "You can't do anything with those hands. Stop complaining, please." I figured that wasn't so much a request as a command, so I shut up.

"Anyway, we're going through caves next – very dangerous. We need to prepare for it," he commented. "Plus, we've been walking all day. We can't carry on all the way to the next stop. We stay here tonight, and then move in the morning." We nodded in agreement and Bill sat next to the cave entrance, his back leant against the hard stone wall.  
>"I'll take first watch," he instructed. "We can move early tomorrow."<br>I sighed and glanced around the cave. It was fairly linear, with a sort of zigzag pattern. I chose a corner that looked relatively smooth-floored, arranged my pack into as comfortable a position as possible, and lay down, certain I wouldn't be able to sleep. As soon as my head hit the floor, I went out like a light.

What felt like seconds later, Zoey woke me. I dragged myself to the opening of the cave and tried to position myself comfortably against the wall. Gazing out, I saw something black standing motionless on the plain. I squinted at it and saw several others join it. Wary of the figures, I watched them, motionless, as they ambled aimlessly around. Over time, I noticed they were slowly, but surely, getting closer.

I shook Chris awake – it was his shift next, so he wouldn't mind.  
>"What's wrong?" he mumbled, only half-awake. I dragged him to the entrance and pointed out the figures, so eerily dark in the dim light. Chris took a flashlight from his pack and was about to turn it on the creatures when I put a warning hand on his arm.<br>"We don't know what they are," I told him. "Be careful."

He nodded his assent and pointed the flashlight at the closest figure. It outlined first a pair of legs, then a torso and arms. It was a person! We shared a shaky grin and Chris cupped his hands around his mouth, calling out to them.  
>"Hey!" The figure raised its head questioningly.<br>"Over here!" shouted Chris. It turned towards us and stared, then ran up to the others. It appeared to be conversing with them. It turned back towards us and started forward. The flashlight illuminated it again, and we could see its full appearance.

I froze in shock. I could hear Chris swearing behind me as he tried to wake the others. Bill woke at once – perhaps he wasn't even asleep – and ran up behind me.  
>"What is it?" he snapped. I gabbled out something intelligible and he leant out of the opening to investigate. His eyes landed on the creatures and widened in horror.<br>"Move, move, move!" he yelled at us, yanking Zoey to her feet. He pushed me in front of him, pausing only to throw my pack at me, and led us to the back of the cave. His flashlight revealed a small doorway-like opening in the side of the tunnel. He ducked through first, followed by me, then Chris and Zoey. I heard peculiar grunting noises coming from the cave behind us, and knew the things were catching up.

I slid down a steep slope of smooth stone and landed heavily, pausing to catch my breath. A cry behind me made me whip my head around to the sight of Zoey, on the ledge above me, flat out on her back. Chris was already halfway down the slope and tried to help her, but to no avail. She tried to get up, but her ankle buckled beneath her and she collapsed again. I launched myself at the smooth rock, trying to find a handhold, but it was too steep and I couldn't climb it. Helplessly, I watched as the nightmare figures oozing green blood converged on her, roughly hewn gold blades flashing in the torchlight.

"Mike! Bill! Chri- Ah!" she yelled in pain as one of the things brought its weapon down hard, the resounding _thud _echoing through the cave.  
>"Zoey!" I cried back. Chris pushed me forward and shouted,<br>"We can't help her! Go!" I gritted my teeth and forced myself to leave her, fleeing through the never-ending cave after Bill, trying to escape from the terrible creatures of the Nether.

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><p><strong>Yes! Steve (My writers block) was holding me up for ages before I finally finished this, so sorry about that...<strong>


	13. Chapter 13, Stronghold

When we arrived at the next safe place, Bill looked on the verge of collapse. I didn't blame him – I knew how it felt to lose the ones you cherish. Staying silent, I led the way into the small tunnel through the rock.  
>Unlike the first cave, this seemed man-made. The walls and floor were smooth, made of regular square bricks set in an orderly pattern. The bricks seemed to be made of the stone of the Nether, and I notice it had a slate-like quality, made of layers of rock. The thin tunnel led to an empty room where we dropped our packs.<p>

"You get some sleep," I told the others. "I'll take first watch." Neither of them needed any further encouragement, and I leant back against the wall, ready for a long night's guarding.  
>The night passed uneventfully, the darkness outside staying silent and unmoving. In the morning, Chris opened his pack and pulled out a white envelope. He took a sheet of white paper from inside it and read it aloud.<p>

"When you reach the stronghold, follow the corridors. Slay the Blazes and bring back the rods. At the end of the stronghold, a Portal will return you to Kakonatos. And look, there's a drawing here." Chris showed me the picture of a floating head of some sort, surrounded by rods floating in midair. He looked up at me.  
>"We should go as soon as possible. We're so close to getting home!"<p>

"Not yet, we're not." Bill's first words since Zoey's death made me jump. He walked up to us, his face serious. "Those Blazes are a nasty piece of work. We always avoided them. One thing's for sure – if the Council sends us in there, most likely the majority won't come back out."  
>"Then we'd better prepare," I told them. "Sort out any cuts and burns you have, and we can finish off the last of the food." We all did so, applying cream and plasters to our various wounds picked up from long hours trekking across the Nether. I tore open my last ration pack with my teeth, wrinkling my nose at the concentrated smell of salt emanating from the packet. Peering inside, I found it was strips of already-cooked salt beef with a sachet of some sort of high-vitamin juice. Whatever it was, it tasted foul, but it was invaluable for getting through the day, and they had conveniently put one into every ration pack. I swallowed it in one gulp, trying to keep my tongue as far away from it as possible without it being impossible to swallow, and popped a strip of beef into my mouth to chew on the way.<p>

With this pick-me-up installed, I changed the bandages on my hands. Whatever Zoey had put on them, it killed me with pain but had sped up the healing process remarkably. Where the gouges had been two or three centimetres deep, they had risen to barely one, and the lighter cuts had disappeared entirely. Unfortunately, the bottle had been left in Zoey's pack when the Zombie Pigmen attacked, and was left behind.

"Everyone ready?" They nodded and I picked up my sword from where I had left it on the ground. Walking quietly into the tunnel, my shoes clicking on the smooth floor, we all explored a section of the vast maze of rooms. When we regrouped, we found that the entire fortress was deserted.  
>"Who built this?" wondered Chris aloud. Bill shook his head.<br>"No-one knows," he replied. "I found some stairs, so maybe we should go up and try to find the surface." We all agreed to try the stairs. When we reached them, we found a strange fungus growing underneath. Bill's eyes lit up.

"Nether Wart!" he exclaimed, hurrying forward and inspecting the wide caps of the mushrooms. "This is fantastic! Roast these, and they're as good as any potato." He cut free several and stowed them in his backpack. "Always good to be prepared."  
>Chris and I did likewise, and we cautiously headed up the stairs. At the top was a room with huge open windows on all sides except one, which had a massive door the size of a Nether portal that led to a bridge made of the same stuff as the walls. We carefully made our way across the bridge, alert for any monsters that might attack us, but found nothing.<p>

The ground below us was on a steep slope, and eventually we were so high up we couldn't see the ground anymore. I prayed for the bridge to hold – nothing could survive that fall.  
>At the end of the bridge was a steep staircase to a wide platform with a low wall around the edge. There was a peculiar cage in the centre and two thin bridges extending out to the sides, burying themselves in cliff walls. Bill stopped us before we could go down to investigate.<p>

"It's a Spawning Cage," he said by way of explanation. The blank look on our faces prompted a heavy sigh.  
>"Creatures – in this case, Blazes – will 'spawn' out of that cage. It's otherwise known as a Birthing Cage? They are created from the dead remains of their brethren inside the cage, given life by harnessing the extreme heat levels of the lava and expelled into the Nether. Then, when they die, the body is boosted to an atomic level of matter and sucked into the cage to reform as a new Blaze." Silence prevailed as we tried to make head or tail of his words. I was a miner, not a scientist, for Notch's sake...<br>"Basically, the cage makes Blazes and spits them out, and then when it gets killed after a while another one will get made," Bill said helpfully. We let out twin sighs of "Oh!" as we finally understood.

"Look! One's being formed now," Bill pointed out. Black smoke hissed out of the cage, forming a cocoon-like egg shape, then dissipated leaving the strangest creature I had ever seen floating a little way above the floor.  
>Its head was a misshapen human head, orange-red with wide empty eyes and no mouth. It had no body that I could see; the head was flying above a small cloud of black smoke surrounded by what I assumed to be the "rods" the note had talked about. They were about half a foot long, bright red and glowing with heat. As we watched, one of them shattered with an odd scraping noise, only to be immediately replaced by a new one coming from the smoke.<p>

"Everyone ready?" I asked. They both nodded.  
>"Then let's get us some Blaze rods!" I cried, and drew my sword.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, iDog finally called me out on my character 'originality'... Yes, I took the description and name of Bill from Left 4 Dead. I was wondering when someone would figure it out.<strong>


	14. Chapter 14, Smoke and Fire

The Blaze flicked its head around at the sound of us charging towards it. It launched itself into the air, floating towards us almost lazily. The skin around where its mouth should have been tore open grotesquely and its cheeks bulged, spitting out a ball of flames at us with a raspy roar. I jumped out of the way and two more followed, missing us by inches. I grabbed the knife from my belt and sent it whizzing through the air towards it, lodging itself in the side of its head. Miraculously, it didn't die, but it brought it thudding back to the ground. It shook itself like a dog and picked itself up. I ran at it, plunging my sword into its head.

It dissolved, the smoke disappearing, leaving behind several Blaze rods. I cautiously tapped one with my sword, then prodded one with a finger, but it had cooled down quickly and was now only warm. We each put a couple in our backpacks, but we needed more. Waiting by the spawner, we saw the remains of the Blaze lift off the ground, divide into three sections, and float towards the Spawning Cage in three streams of glittering orange. As we watched, they entered the Spawning Cage and formed into three black shapes that looked suspiciously like...

"Bill... How many Blazes can be made at one time?" I asked him in a quavering voice. He swallowed audibly.  
>"It can be anything from one... to three..." he responded quietly. I re-gripped my sword.<br>"I vote we back away... slowly," I said under my breath. We looked at each other, turned and raced at breakneck speed for the stairs.  
>Just as we got to the top, we turned around and saw a Blaze being spawned. It was quickly followed by its brothers and they milled about with no apparent purpose, as they had not seen us yet.<p>

"It's getting late," Bill commented. "I vote we call it a night and stay here for a while." Chris and I agreed, and we all dropped our bags. Bill took some matches and the envelope, took out the note and set them alight at the back of the room - they were coated in some sort of shiny varnish, protecting them, which burned slowly and effectively. He positioned the Nether Wart over the flames to slowly roast and sat by the entrance, being certain that the Blazes could not see him.

"They'll be done soon," he commented. We nodded and I sat with my back against the wall, far away from the flames - I had no need of extra heat in that sauna-like place. We sat in companionable silence until the mushrooms turned golden brown, then hungrily gobbled down our meagre portions.  
>The Nether Wart was nothing like I expected. It was sweet and sharp, juicy like meat and smooth-textured. The wide caps served as a greater meal than they appeared, and by the time I had finished my meal I was full and sleepy. Bill offered to take first watch, and I simply fell asleep where I sat. I slept deeply until Chris woke me in the morning. I woke up refreshed and energetic, ready for whatever the day might hold. Bill had wisely held back half the mushrooms for the morning, and the thick flesh of the vegetable left a surprisingly good mood in me, considering where we were.<p>

After replenishing our energy with the meal, we decided to try again at getting blaze rods. Picking up our swords, we cautiously walked down the stairs. The Blazes ignored us until we were two thirds of the way down, then the head of one flicked around to stare at me. It made one of its rasping noises and the others turned to look at us. As if they were one organism, they rose into the air and flew towards us in a perfect triangle.

Chris tossed his knife at the closest one. It hit it on the side of the head and the momentum spun it around and sent it back to the ground. The other two shot their triplet of attacks at us. Chris successfully dodged them; Bill escaped with nothing more than mild burns; but I received worse injuries. A ball of fire the size of a small apple smashed into the rock beside my leg. I barely felt the pain, I was so filled with adrenaline, and I ran forward, limping. The Blaze flitted down to my level, and I embedded my sword in its head. It screeched and exploded in a flurry of orange dust. The other two flew back, regenerating their strength. I took the opportunity to shove some more Blaze rods into my backpack and grabbed Chris's arm.

"We need to get inside! They're out of reach when they fly up, it's our only chance!" Chris nodded and I yelled for Bill to follow. Leading the way, I flew across the bridge and inside the cliff face, flinging myself around the corner before turning back, expecting my friends to appear. Chris rocketed into the wall, flattening himself against it next to me out of sight of the Blazes. Agitated, I demanded to know where Bill was. Chris shook his head sadly.  
>"He stayed behind to hold them off," he replied.<br>"What?" I screeched, starting towards the bridge. Chris followed behind me.  
>Bill was on his knees on the floor, the Blazes at his back. He scrambled across the smooth rock, but to no avail – the Blazes were too close to escape from. One of them flew forward to make the killing blow, and the other flitted back to watch the gruesome spectacle. The front Blaze looked down almost reflectively, and its rods swirled faster than usual. It launched itself into the air, about to attack.<p>

"We can't help him!" cried Chris, tugging on my arm. "We have to move – now!" I tore my eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of me and turned, rounding the corner to be immediately presented with another problem. A quick glance around the short tunnel revealed no further openings – we were trapped.  
>I threw myself at the rock, trying desperately to find a seam, a crack, a loose brick – anything we could use to escape. But the wall was unrelenting, and I heard the Blazes closing in. Two attacks thudded into the wall near us, hissing. Another quickly followed, and melted a hole in the floor. Chris poked his head around the corner. His eyes widened almost comically, and he ducked back around just as the next one whizzed barely an inch past his head.<br>"Together?" I asked him grimly.

"Together," he replied, raising his sword. I charged around the corner, my sword firmly gripped in my hand. One of the Blazes shot a fireball at me and I reacted instinctively, batting it away with my sword. It melted partially, leaving the bottom half of one edge blunt and useless. I flipped it over in my hand and shoved it up into the cloud of smoke and firmly into the monster's head. It screamed and exploded. I reached down and slipped the dagger Chris had thrown into my pocket. Turning away from its glowing remains, I smashed my way through the swirling rods of the Blaze attacking Chris and sliced open its head. It dissolved and I stood over its ashes, panting.  
>Suddenly, pain shot through my head as something hard slammed into it. Caught off guard, I was knocked to my knees. Before I could react, it hit me again, knocking me flat. A red haze came over my vision as I struggled to call out, to cry for help. I searched my field of vision frantically, looking for my attacker, making nothing but small wheezing noises.<br>Chris knelt beside me, his mouth set in a grim line.

"Chri... Chris..." I tried to get him to understand that we were under attack, but he seemed oblivious to the threat. I pushed myself to my knees, shaking and leaning against the wall. Chris looked at the entrance and shoved me down again. A lone Blaze was floating about the bridge, looking at us inquisitively. It sent a fireball at us, but missed and hit the bridge supports.  
>They were already thin and weak from the intense heat, and the fireball was the last straw. With a shuddering groan, the bridge collapsed, sending the entire complex crashing into the abyss. The Blaze spawner disappeared, along with the Blaze.<p>

My head was ringing from the hit. Through the roaring in my ears, I heard a peculiar sound. It sounded like someone laughing. I looked around the room, sending searing stabs of pain through my neck, and saw nothing. Until my eyes landed on Chris, that was.  
>He was quite clearly trying to stop himself laughing. He hiccupped a little and stopped, finally, a small smirk turning up the corners of his lips. His hearty chuckling at a time like this was thoroughly unnerving, and I found myself drawing back from him.<p>

"Stay down," he instructed me. I shook my head, pushing myself up to my knees again, then to my feet, leaning on the wall for support.  
>"I said," he said, his voice turning to a snarl, "Stay down!" He raised his sword and brought the hilt hard down on my temple. The pain blinded me, turning my vision to a red oblivion. I felt myself hit the floor. Darkness tugged at me and I almost lost consciousness, but managed to hang on to reality.<br>It felt like I had a ton of lead on my back, but I managed to prop myself against the wall, gasping for breath. Chris frowned.  
>"I put a lot of effort into that hit. The least you could do is faint," he grumbled.<p>

"What... are you... doing?" I wheezed. Chris laughed again.  
>"You really haven't figured it out?" he asked me. When I didn't reply, he sighed.<br>"I knew you weren't the cleverest, but I thought you would have worked it out by now. I mean, there are not many reasons for me to attack you. Zoey figured it out early on, but _unfortunately_ the Pigmen got her. I wonder why. And then Bill. Taken by the Blazes. So tragic..." The pieces were falling into place, but in my befuddled state of mind I struggled to make sense of them.

"You... did you...?" I asked weakly. He nodded, a huge smile on his face.  
>"The Council said not to bother with them, that they would die in the Nether anyway. They were wrong – Bill may be a decrepit old man, but he knows his way around a weapon."<br>"The Council? What have they got to do with this? What do you mean?" I snapped, managing to keep the truth from my mind.  
>"I killed them, Mike. Bill and Zoey. Others, too, before. All on the Council's orders. They rewarded me handsomely, of course," said Chris, tossing his sword from hand to hand as if chatting about an everyday occurrence. I gasped in shock.<p>

"You _what_?" I yelled. I struggled to my feet, pain almost sending me back down. I raised my sword and charged at him, blind rage taking over. His expression changed and he brought his sword up to parry my blow. It reminded me, in a second of madness, of the sparring we had enjoyed when training – only much more real, and much more deadly. I attacked wildly, seeking not to kill – I might need him later – only to injure him. He was clearly jarred by my sudden recovery, but I had suffered many injuries and concussions over the years. I was used to it. I sliced at his chest and he threw himself backwards to avoid it, but overbalanced and fell back onto the hard stone floor. The breath was knocked out of him and in the moment it took him to regain it, I had my sword pressed into his throat.

Cold rage took me over. I gradually applied pressure, slowly but surely. He murmured something that made me freeze in horror.  
>"Such a shame, about Firenze," he said quietly.<br>"Shut up," I told him.  
>"He was brave, I'll give you that. It took a lot of pain to break him." My heart skipped a beat.<br>"What are you talking about?" I snapped, though I already knew. The bruises. The cuts and gouges on his arms and face. Firenze...  
>"Of course, he didn't want to tell me. But I have my ways," said Chris, smiling surprisingly comfortably considering he was lying on the floor with a sword to his throat. "A bit of truth serum, a lot of torture, and he was singing like a bird. Screaming like one, too. I barely got past the bone breaking before he started. Honestly, I thought he would have been braver than that. And you really should be more careful. You never know who's following you..."<p>

"Shut up!" I yelled. "Shut up!" I stumbled backwards, shell-shocked by what I was hearing. Chris grinned and jumped up. He had attempted to jolt me, to shock me out of my murderous rage, and succeeded. I was unhinged completely. A memory of Firenze – late afternoon on the dock, his rich clothes glowing in the setting sun, laughing at one of my terrible jokes – flooded into my mind, pricking my eyes with tears. I fought to remain in control. I had to. I would die if I didn't.

At that moment, Death seemed attractive. To be with the ones I loved again. Firenze. Friends who had died in the mines. My parents. My sister. I shook my head clear of those thoughts, not wanting to consider it, and focused on the present. Chris retrieved his sword from where he had dropped it and approached me at a leisurely pace, bringing back his sword to plunge it into my stomach. I slipped the dagger out of my pocket. Any doubts I would have had were instantly quelled by my anger for Firenze – no, anger is not the right word. It was an all-consuming rage. Even if I had wanted to stop, I couldn't.

Just as he gripped my shoulder to thrust his sword into me, my head snapped up and I sank the blade of the dagger inbetween his shoulder blades. His expression turned to one of the utmost shock. His sword clattered to the floor and he took two steps backwards... straight over the edge of the broken bridge.

He didn't have time to scream.

I kicked his sword over the edge. I was emotionless. A zombie. Almost on autopilot, I double checked the room – no exits. But as I turned around, I spotted an irregularity on the wall. I crossed the room and examined it – a small hexagonal hole, shallow and unassuming. I bent over to look closer, and something fell out from the collar of my shirt.  
>It was the amulet Firenze's housekeeper had given me. It seemed to float away from me, restricted by the braid around my neck. I took it off and examined it – it was the exact same size as the hole. I unwound the braid from the top and slotted it into the hole. The entire wall slid apart, revealing a dark passage.<br>I smiled shakily, retrieved the amulet and walked down it. It was long, and it took a long time to reach the exit. It finished at a wall with a lever next to it. I pulled the lever, and the wall slid apart, revealing a small room with a Portal in the centre.

It was already lit, and I searched the room for any clue as to where it led. A scrap of paper was lying on the floor, with a broken glass inkwell next to it. It was soaked in ink, and I only made out a small amount of words.

"Back to the centre... the others... closing... centre being destroyed..." I read. No doubt the portal led to this "centre". I took a deep breath and stepped in.  
>When I materialised on the other side, I managed not to pass out. I was spat out into a small room, the walls made of metal. I could tell immediately that I was underground – call it a miner's instinct. There were tunnels leading out.<p>

I explored the "centre". Everything had been removed or destroyed, but it was clear what this was by the number of portals. It was a centre for transportation or travel. I entered the last room of the corridor and was confronted with two more portals. One had no label or sign on it. The other was marked "Kakonatos".  
>Struggling to keep myself under control, I felt the amulet vibrate in my hand. I looked down at it and it split open, revealing a folded piece of parchment. I opened it and saw a short note, written in Firenze's writing.<p>

_My dearest friend, Mike,  
>If you are reading this, then I am dead. Do not grieve too much for me. I had a good life.<br>At the end of your journey is a portal, marked Kakonatos. You should know that, much like the body and mind, one Portal cannot survive without the other. Destroy it. I believe there is a storage room across the corridor.  
>Life well, Mike. You deserve it.<br>-Firenze_

Tears slipped silently down my cheek as I looked for the storage room. I found it and searched it, finding a heavy metal box of a dark purple-black substance. I jumped back – it was Kyronate.  
>Kyronate was the most dangerous chemical anyone knew. A gram of it could blow a person up. A box like this would demolish the entire building. Beside the box was a fuse starter. I knew exactly what I had to do.<p>

Positioning the box at the bottom of the Kakonatos portal, I connected the fuse and dragged it over the room to the other portal.  
>I took one final glance at my home world, stepped into the unmarked portal, and pressed the switch. The fuse burned down... down... down... until it reached the box, destroying my last passage to Minecraftia. The portal pulled me away as the world turned into a seething mass of fire.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>D: CHRIS KILLED FIRENZE? NOOOOO FRICKABAGHARAHGAH! - (My friend's reaction)<strong>  
><strong>And I reckon that's about it from this story, readers. Thanks for reading all this way through, please review it!<br>If, and only if, my dear reviewers (That could be you!) want me to, I might write a sequel. Let me know what you think!  
><strong>


	15. Chapter 15, Epilogue

Firstly, a word of thanks to my first reviewer, xoxLEXIxox, for encouraging me to continue the story and without whom I wouldn't have succeeded in finishing.  
>Secondly, thanks to all my other reviewers:<p>

Taylorhrrr123

Admiral Rake Donsom

Mellifluousness

iDog

DJatomica69

FTWeepingbell  
>KikitoSan<br>N.B. I only included reviewers who reviewed using their accounts. Unregistered reviewers are not listed here.  
>R.I.P. Firenze, Zoey and Bill!<br>If I get enough requests, I will write a sequel to this, as I said before.


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